East Village in Des Moines in Polk County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Cambodia
— Robert D. Ray Asian Garden —
A dark era befell Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge, under the dictator Pol Pot, ruled the country from 1975 to 1979. Pol Pot's genocidal regime led to the deaths of nearly 2 million people out of a population of just 7 million. So many people were executed and buried in mass graves throughout the country that large areas became known as the "killing fields".
In October 1979, tens of thousands of Cambodians fled across the border into Thailand. Governor and Mrs. Ray were on a trip to Thailand and saw, first-hand, the terrible suffering of nearly 30,000 starving and emaciated Cambodian refugees. Governor Ray's photos landed on the front page of the state's newspapers. The outpouring of concern led him to create Iowa SHARES and Iowans contributed close to $2 million to rush food, medicine and volunteer nurses and doctors to save thousands and thousands of Cambodian refugees.
Approximately 225 Cambodian families were resettled in Iowa during the late 1970s and early 80s. Most of them do not know about the Rays' visit to the camp or Iowa SHARES. We were grateful to provide the leadership to capture this important history. Three significant educational and cultural initiatives were founded:
• The Iowa Asian Alliance (IAA), an economic development group uniting the state's diverse Asian American communities under one umbrella.
• CelebrAsian, the state's Annual Asian Heritage Festival
• "A Promise Called Iowa", a documentary produced by Iowa Public Television centered on the legacy of Governor Ray and the Walker family who welcomed Southeast Asian refugees to their Iowa "home".
The Robert D. Ray Asian Garden, together with these events and organizations, will preserve this important aspect of Iowa's humanitarian heritage far into the future.
–Kim Poam
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Charity & Public Work • Disasters • Immigration. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1979.
Location. 41° 35.666′ N, 93° 37.002′ W. Marker is in Des Moines, Iowa, in Polk County. It is in East Village. Marker is at the intersection of Robert D. Ray Drive and Maple Street, on the right when traveling south on Robert D. Ray Drive. The marker is at the north end of the Robert D. Ray Asian Garden. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 700 Robert D Ray Drive, Des Moines IA 50309, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Robert D. Ray Asian Garden (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); The First Licensed Ferry (approx. 0.3 miles away); Votes for Women (approx. 0.6 miles away); Iowa Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); War Of The Rebellion Monument (approx. ¾ mile away); Iowa Revolutionary War Monument (approx. ¾ mile away); Replica of the Statue of Liberty (approx. ¾ mile away); William Boyd Allison (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Des Moines.
Additional keywords. genocide
Credits. This page was last revised on December 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 18, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 51 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 18, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.